Sounders mourn loss of Akeem Adams

A one-time trialist who played in a 2010 friendly, Adams died Monday at 22 years old after suffering a series of events that left him hospitalized since September.

When a player suits up in Rave Green, whether it’s for one day or 10 years, they are forever linked to Sounders FC. And when that player goes on to other ventures, the organization keeps tabs on them, always aware of where they are playing or what they are doing after their career.

They celebrate life’s victories together and, unfortunately, feel the pain of defeat.

That is why some in the organization hung their heads on Monday, when one-time trialist Akeem Adams passed away at just 22 years old.

“It’s just really sad. He’s such a young kid,” said Sounders FC Assistant Coach and Scout Kurt Schmid, who scouted Adams before his trial in 2010. “In the game, there is lots of pressure and it’s high stakes, but this puts things into real perspective. At any moment, it can be taken away from you without any sort of reason or logic behind it. He was a guy that seemed healthy and to have this happen to him is tragic.”

Schmid watched Adams in 2009 with Trinidad’s U-20 national team and was in contact from then. In 2010, he came to Seattle and trained with Sounders FC before ultimately appearing in a friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara, playing the second half of the match at left back in a 3-1 win for Seattle. Though he didn’t stick, Schmid has kept an eye on his progress ever since.

“He was a talented young player that we wanted to get a look at with our group and see how he fit in,” Schmid said. “He was a great kid. He got along with the team really well and he was a kid that worked hard and wanted to improve and get better in his chosen career.”

Adams played five seasons in his native Trinidad before leaving for Europe this year to play for Ferencvarosi in Hungary’s top division. He played six matches before suffering a heart attack on September 25. By October 8, his condition had not improved and his left leg had to be amputated. Over the weekend, he suffered a stroke and slipped into a coma. With his mother and brother by his side, he died in a Budapest hospital on Monday, ending the painful battle.